The Return
by z dream
Summary: After being saved by the Hood from the Savior, Roy and Thea had just one thing they needed to say. One-shot.


_Nobody'll miss me._

That's not true. She would. She'd miss teasing him for stealing her purse. She'd miss the opportunity to thank him, really thank him, for saving her from those guys. She'd miss the opportunity to ask him something about anything.

_I'm just a waste._

She didn't mean that. Oh, God, she really didn't mean it.

_**We seem to have lost the signal…**_

No. No. No. No. He's gone. He's gone and the last thing he remembered was her calling him a waste, a criminal. That was it. Nothing else she could say, and nothing else she could do. She wanted to say that she was done losing people, but that's what she said last time. Why did it never hurt any less?

"It's going to be okay, Thea." No, it wasn't. Tommy couldn't be sure of that. Did he not see Roy's face, bloody and scared? Didn't he see that the last thing that flashed on the screen was a gun? Fuckin' guns. If she hadn't reacted that way toward the gun Roy had, he would've had it loaded. He would've protected himself. It was all her fault. There was no way that she could work it in her mind where it wasn't. Worst part was she could imagine him scolding her for blaming herself. Damn, she missed him so much already.

* * *

When the cops asked him where to be dropped off, he almost said home. Almost. Thea wouldn't be the first girl to tell him to go to hell. She wouldn't be the first girl to tell him that she wished he died. But he had to see her anyways, as angry as she would be, he needed her to turn around and look at him. So he sent her a text. And she threw her arms around him, like she missed him. Like she cared about whether or not he lived or died.

"I probably look like a mess".

"No." Of course she didn't, she couldn't.

"I'm going to freshen way, way up."

"Yeah, can we go get something to eat?" She laughed.

"Yeah."

* * *

Poorly lit, poorly decorated, and in a very sketchy area of the Glades, it didn't surprise Roy that Thea had never been to the Lantern before. What was surprising was her appetite.

"So, you were nearly barreled down by a serial killer and the first thing you want to do is eat a plate of ribs." They sat next to each other in the worn booth. It was late and they were among the few people there.

"Hey, you seem to be enjoying Hal's ribs just fine. What is this, your third plate?"

"Well, I didn't exactly eat dinner." Her solemn face didn't match the tease.

"Hey, Thea, look at me. I'm fine. I promise."

"It's not just that." Her glistening eyes looked away from Roy and to the yellowing tile on the far side of the room. "I…I didn't mean what I said earlier today. I was just…" she turned to face him now. His eyes were on her the whole time. "I don't think you are half as bad as you make yourself out to be. And I'm not trying to change you and I wouldn't want to even if I could." Roy nodded and continued to polish off his plate of ribs. Thea opened her mouth, like she was about to say more, but stopped. The rest of dinner continued in a sort of reluctant silence.

Walking back to Verdant, Roy racked his brain trying to think of something to say. Two blocks to go. She missed him. He still couldn't believe it. Honestly, what would there have been to miss? He would have missed her, though. He would have missed the way she talked, her voice full of confidence and sass. He would have missed her smile, for sure. One block to go. At the Lantern, he wanted to kiss her, right then and there. But, he also wanted to say something, he just couldn't think of what. They were almost at the door now, and her brother would drive her home to her mansion far away from the Glades, from him. It was a world away, but she kept coming back.

"Hey, Thea." She stopped and looked at him, waiting. "Thanks." Her eyebrows furrowed.

"For what?" For caring, for being beautiful, for coming back, for not making him feel like a loser, for calling him out on his BS, for the ribs...

"For everything." And that's when he kissed her.


End file.
